The Grand Army of the Republic or GAR

I would assume many readers have by now written to you that the man in the center is wearing a medal of the Grand Army of the Republic or GAR - the organization for Union Veterans of the Civil War.

The Boy Scouts would have been functioning in the USA for only around seven years in 1917 but had developed a strong relationship with the GAR. At some reunions of the old vets, Boy Scout troops provided an individual scout to serve as a helper and guide for each old veteran.